Photo op at the ground-breaking of the Joseph Naper Homestead park in 2011.
Kate at Fountaindale Library in Bolingbrook.
Author Event at Centuries and Sleuths Bookstore
Kate hosted a Halloween Author Event for "Haunted by History" with Norm Cowie, author of "Fang Face."
Pioneer Fest 2009
New booth design for 2009!
Book Signing at Waldenbooks
Waldenbooks at Westfield-Fox Valley Mall hosted a book signing.
Author Fair at Fountaindale Library
Kate chats with young readers at the annual Author Fair in Bolingbrook.
School Day at Pioneer Fest 2008
On the Friday before Belvidere's Pioneer Festival, school groups come as a field trip to hear re-enactors and craftsmen talk about pioneer life. Kate explains how settlers turn flax into clothing.
Career Day at Grant-White School
Kate with Pat Malarski, teacher at Grant-White School in Forest Park.
Illinois State Historical Society Award
Ruth by Lake and Prairie was honored by the Illinois State Historical Society at their annual luncheon and was awarded a Certificate of Excellence. Read the press release here.
Kate Kate with John Weck, the ISHS President.
Kate accepting the Certificate of Excellence at the annual luncheon in the ballroom of the Executive Mansion in Springfield.
Kate with Russel Lewis, Executive Vice-President and Chief Historian of the Chicago History Museum. Also IHSA Secretary and chair of the Annual Awards Committee.
At the gate of the Executive Mansion in Springfield.
In the garden of the Executive Mansion on a lovely early spring day.
In front of the Capitol Building while touring Springfield.
Kate and Don with the Lincoln family at the new Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum. If you haven't been yet, you really must see this!
US Bank Business Board
Sara Knauf, Small Business Specialist at USBank, invited Kate to create a display on the bank's Business of the Week board in the lobby.
Signing books at Naper School
Kate talked to the kids at Naper School (named after Joe Naper himself!) about DuPage history and the creative writing process.
Pioneer Fest in Boone County
Husband Don manning the table at the Boone County Autumn Pioneer Festival.
Joe Naper's Cabin Dig
Kate spent time in August helping at the archeological dig at the site of Joe Naper's original cabin.
Kate finds a 175 year old straight pin while sifting dirt from an early privy. Also unearthed were early 1800's pennies, china, glass, beads and intact clay pipe.
See more photos at the Naper Settlement web site.
DuPage Valley Settlers at Chaplin Creek
Following some weeks of email correspondence, Kate attended an encampment of the duPage Valley Settlers at Chaplin Creek village to meet Artemas the Tinker in person and gather research for her next book.
The duPage Valley Settlers demonstrated different ways to start a fire, including flint and steel, using a flintlock rifle, and with an Indian bow-drill.
Monarch Landing/Erickson Tribune Fair
Kate gave two presentations about 1830's Clothing and talked with folks about history during the rest of the time.
A film crew from Retirement Living TV is hard to ignore.
AuthorFest '07
Kate stands in front of the book sales table at the AuthorFest '07 in Schaumburg in June. Kate was invited as a panelist for the Children's and Young Adults' Books program.
Anderson's Home Grown Authors Event
During a lull, Kate chats with Gini Clare, author of Naperville's Riverwalk; Where History and Community Flow Together.
Friends and family came out in support.
Children line up to get their copy of Ruth by Lake and Prairie signed.
Book Signing at Anderson's
Anderson's Staff introduces Kate.
The Life of an 1830's Girl
Junior Girl Scouts from Mill Street School dressed as children from 1830 and asked questions.